LAWS OF VARIOUS STATES RELATING TO LABOR ENACTED SINCE

JANUARY 1, 1896.

NEW JERSEY.

ACTS OF 1896.

CHAPTER 27.-Wages preferred-In executions, etc.

(Amending an act approved March 13, 1856, page 749, revision of 1877.)

SECTION 1. Section one of the act of which this act is amendatory [shall] be amended so as to read as follows:

SECTION 1. No goods, chattels or personal property whatsoever, being in this State, and belonging to any manufacturer or other person or persons, or to any corporation, shall be liable to be removed by virtue of any execution, attachment or other process, unless the party by whom or at whose suit the said execution, attachment or other process was issued or sued out, shall first pay or cause to be paid to the operatives, mechanics and other employees employed by such manufacturer, person or persons or corporation, the wages then owing from such manufacturer, person, persons or corporation to the operatives, mechanics and other employees employed by them; Provided, The same shall not exceed two months' wages, and in case the sum owing as aforesaid shall exceed two months' wages, then the said party at whose suit such process is sued out, upon paying the said operatives, mechanics and other employees two months' wages, may proceed to execute his process as he might have done before the passage of this act; and the sheriff or other officer is hereby empowered and required to levy and pay to the plaintiff, as well the money so paid for wages as the uoney to be made by virtue of such process.

SEC. 2. Section two of said act [shall] be amended so as to read as follows: SECTION 2. If the sheriff or other officer shall, by virtue of any execution, attachment or other process, remove from the possession or premises of any person, persons or corporation against whom such process may be issued, any goods, chattels or personal property, without first paying to the operatives, mechanics and other employees of such person or persons or corporation, their wages to the amount in the preceding section specified, such goods or chattels or personal property shall not be sold by such sheriff or other officer so taking or removing the same, until ten days after such removal, and then not until the plaintiff or party at whose suit such goods or chattels are taken as aforesaid shall, before the sale thereof, pay to the operatives, mechanics and other employees of such person or persons or corporation against whom such process is issued, the wages due them at the time of such removal; Provided, The same shall not in any case exceed two months' wages, and if more than two months' wages is owing to such operatives, mechanics or other employees, then the party by whom or at whose suit such execution or other process is issued, by paying two months' wages, may proceed to execute his process, and sell such goods or personal property; Provided, The persons to whom such wages may be owing shall, before the expiration of said ten days after such removal, give, notice to the sheriff or other officer holding such process of the amount of wages due and claim the same, which notice may be served by delivering the same to said officer or leaving a copy thereof at his usual place of abode.

SEC. 3. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act [shall] be and the same are hereby repealed, and this act shall take effect immediately. Approved March 9, 1896.

CHAPTER 179.-Payment of wages.

SECTION 1. Every manufacturing, mining or quarrying and lumbering corporation, partnership, association and establishment in this State employing persons in the business of manufacturing, mining or quarrying, shall pay at least every two weeks, in lawful money of the United States, each and every employee engaged in

its business, or their representatives, the full amount of wages due to such employees up to within twelve days of such payment; Provided, however, That if at any time of payment any employee shall be absent from his regular place of labor, and shall not receive his wages through a duly authorized representative, he shall be entitled to said payment at any time thereafter upon demand.

SEC. 2. No assignment of future wages payable every two weeks, under the provisions of this act, shall be valid if made to the employer or employers from whom such wages are to become due, or to any person on behalf of such employer or employers, or if made or procured to be made to any person for the purpose of relieving such employer or employers from the obligation to pay weekly under the provisions of this act.

SEC. 3. It shall not be legal for any such company or establishment, or the agent of any such company or establishment, to enter into or make any agreement with any employee for the payment of the wages of any such employee otherwise than as provided in section one of this act, except it be to pay such wages at shorter intervals than every two weeks, and every agreement made in violation of this act is hereby declared to be null and void; And provided, That each and every one of such employees with whom any agreement, in violation of this act, shall be made by any such person, company, establishment or agent, shall have his or her action and right of action against any such partnership, association, company or establishment for the full amount of such wages in any court of competent jurisdiction in this State.

SEC. 4. Any employer or employers who may violate any of the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars and not less than fifty dollars for each violation, to be paid to the people of the State, at the discretion of the court; Provided, That an action for such violation is commenced within thirty days from the date thereof.

SEC. 5. The factory inspector of this State and his deputies shall bring an action against any employer or employers who neglect to comply with the provisions of this act for a period of two weeks after having been notified in writing by said inspector or his deputies that such action will be brought; and it is hereby made the duty of county prosecutors of the pleas to appear in behalf of such proceedings brought hereunder by the factory inspector or his deputies.

SEC. 6. When an employer or employers against whom action is brought under this act fail to appear, after having been duly served with the process, the default shall be recorded, the allegations in the complaint taken to be true and judgment rendered accordingly.

SEC. 7. When judgment is rendered upon any complaint for the violation of any of the provisions of this act the court may issue a warrant of distress to compel the payment of the penalty prescribed by law, together with costs.

SEC. 8. The provisions of this act shall not apply or affect any contract now existing or that shall hereafter be entered into between any manufacturer or corporation and any employee or employees or any bona fide trades union or labor organization. SEC. 9. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

Approved April 16, 1896.

CHAPTER 181.—Bakeries, etc.—Inspection, hours of labor, etc.

SECTION 1. No employee shall be required, permitted or suffered to work in a biscuit, bread or cake bakery, or confectionery establishment more than sixty hours in any one week, or more than ten hours in any one day, unless for the purpose of making a shorter workday on the last day of the week, nor more hours in any one week than will make an average of ten hours per day for the whole number of days in which such person shall so work during such week; but it shall be lawful in cases of emergency for employers to permit any employee and for the latter to work an additional time not exceeding two hours per day, such extra work to be remunerated at the current rate of the weekly wages paid to such employee for his weekly work of sixty hours; no employee in any biscuit, bread or cake bakery shall be discharged by his employer for having made any truthful statement as a witness in a court or to the factory inspector or a deputy factory inspector, in pursuance of this act.

SEC. 2. All buildings or rooms, occupied as biscuit, bread or cake bakeries, shall be drained and plumbed in a manner to conduce to the proper and healthful sanitary condition thereof, and constructed with air-shafts, windows or ventilating pipes sufficient to insure ventilation, as the factory inspector or any of his deputies shall direct; no cellar or basement not now occupied as a bakery shall hereafter be occupied and used as a bakery, and a cellar bakery heretofore occupied, when once closed shall not be re-opened, unless the proprietor shall have previously complied with the provisions of this act.

SEC. 3. Every room used for the manufacture of flour or meal food products shall be at least eight feet in height and shall have, if deemed necessary by the factory inspector, an impermeable floor. constructed of cement or of wood properly saturated

with linseed oil; the side walls of such rooms shall be plastered or wainscoted, except where brick walls are shown, and, if required by the factory inspector, shall be whitewashed at least once in three months; the furniture and utensils in such rooms shall be so arranged that the furniture and floor may at all times be kept in a proper and healthful, sanitary and clean condition; no domestic animal, except cats, shall be allowed to remain in a room used as a biscuit, bread or cake bakery, or for the storage of flour or meal food products.

SEC. 4. The manufactured flour or meal products shall be kept in perfectly dry and airy rooms, so arranged that the floors, shelves and all other facilities for storing the same can be easily and perfectly cleaned.

SEC. 5. Every such bakery shall be provided with a proper wash-room and watercloset or closets, apart from the bake-room or rooms where the manufacturing of such food products is conducted; and no water-closet, earth-closet or privy shall be within or communicate directly with the bake-room of any bakery, hotel or public restaurant. Sic. 6. The sleeping places for the persons employed in a bakery shall be kept separate from the room or rooms where flour or meal food products are manufactured or stored, and the factory inspector or a deputy factory inspector may inspect such sleeping places, if they are on the same premises as the bakery, and order them cleaned or changed in compliance with sanitary principles.

SEC. 7. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this act, or refuses to comply with any requirement of the factory inspector or deputy factory inspector, as provided herein, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty nor more than fifty dollars for the first offense, and not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars for a second offense or imprisonment for not more than ten days, and for a third offense by a fine of not less than two hundred and fifty dollars and not more than thirty days' imprisonment.

SEC. 8. The factory inspector and his deputies shall inspect all bakeries and see that the provisions of this act are observed therein; such deputies shall have all power and duties of the deputy inspectors and shall be amenable to the supervision and control of the factory inspector; the factory inspector or a deputy factory inspector authorized by him may issue a certificate to a person conducting a bakery that such bakery is conducted in compliance with all the provisions of this act.

SEC. 9. The owner, agent or lessee of any property affected by the provisions of section two, three or five of this act shall, within sixty days after the service of a notice requiring any alterations to be made in or upon such premises, comply therewith, and such notice shall be in writing and may be served upon such owner, agent or lessee, either personally or by mail, and a notice mailed to the last known address of such owner, agent or lessee shall be deemed sufficient for the purposes of this act. Approved April 16, 1896.

CHAPTER 185.-Insolvency of corporations-Wages preferred.

SECTION 83. In case of the insolvency of any corporation the laborers and workmen, and all persons doing labor or service of whatever character, in the regular employ of such corporation, shall have a first and prior lien upon the assets thereof for the amount of wages due to them respectively for all labor, work and services done, performed or rendered within two months next preceding the date when proceedings in insolvency shall be actually instituted and begun against such insolvent corporation.

SEC. 84. Such lien shall be prior to all other liens that can or may be acquired upon or against such assets, except the lien and encumbrance of a chattel mortgage, recorded more than two months next preceding the date when proceedings in insolvency shall have been actually instituted against such insolvent corporation, and except the lien and encumbrance of a chattel mortgage recorded within two months next preceding the date when proceedings in insolvency shall have been actually instituted against such insolvent corporation, for money loaned or for goods purchased within said period of two months; and also except as against the lien of mortgages given upon the lands and real estate of such insolvent corporation. Approved April 21, 1896.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

ACTS OF 1896.

ACT No. 84.-Payment of wages by contractors.

SECTION 1. On and after the passage of this act it shall be the duty of any contractor or contractors in the erection, alteration or repairing of buildings in the State of South Carolina to pay all laborers, subcontractors and material men for their lawful services and material furnished out of the money received for the erection,

alteration or repairs of buildings upon which said laborers, subcontractors and material men are employed or interested, and said laborers, as well as all subcontractors and persons who shall furnish material for said building, shall have a first lien on the money received by said contractor or contractors for the erection, alteration or repair of said buildings in proportion to the amount of their respective claims. Nothing herein contained shall make the owner of the building responsible in any way: Provided, further, That nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent any contractor or contractors or subcontractors from borrowing money on such contract.

SEC. 2. Any contractor or contractors or subcontractors who shall for other purposes than paying the money loaned upon said contract expend and on that account fail to pay to any or all laborers, subcontractors and material men out of the money received, as provided in section 1 of this act, and as admitted by such contractor or contractors, or as may be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisonment [imprisoned] not less than three months nor more than twelve months: Provided, Said contractor or contractors or subcontractors may have the right of arbitration by agreement with said laborers, subcontractors and material men.

Approved the second day of March, A. D. 1896.

RECENT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.

[The Secretaries of the Treasury, War, and Navy Departments have consented to furnish statements of all contracts for constructions and repairs entered into by them. These, as received, will appear from time to time in the Bulletin.]

The following contracts have been made by the office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury:

PUEBLO, COLO.-December 22, 1896. Contract with J. J. Hanighen, Omaha, Nebr., for plumbing and gas piping for post-office, $8,300. Work to be completed within twelve months.

ALLEGHENY, PA.—December 28, 1896. Contract with W. C. Peake, Washington, D. C., for interior finish, plumbing, and approaches for post-office, $35,527. Work to be completed within nine months.

LYNN, MASS.--January 9, 1897. Contract with L. L. Leach & Son, Chicago, Ill., for erection and completion of post office, except heating apparatus, $69,000. Work to be completed within ten months.

OMAHA, NEBR.-January 14, 1897. Contract with Bernhard J. Jobst, for interior finish of basement, first story, and all outside windows of court-house, custom-house, and post-office, $83,598. Work to be completed within eight months.

LOS ANGELES, CAL.-February 4, 1897. Contract with John Hanlon for miscellaneous changes in and extension to court-house and postoffice, $8,380. Work to be completed within fourteen weeks.

WASHINGTON, D. C.-February 4, 1897. Contract with William H. Doyle, Philadelphia, Pa., for plumbing, gas piping, etc., in post-office, $49,950. Work to be completed within six months.

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